kscans

Chapter 191 - Explain

Arc and I got out of the bath together and were drying ourselves with towels in the changing room. Arc, who was drying her hair, started staring at my body.

"What?"

I looked at you too, but don’t stare back at me.

"I was just thinking you have a great figure. And your hair is beautiful too."

Don’t suddenly start showering me with compliments.

"Thanks. But Yoshino-san is amazing, you know."

I’ve never seen her naked, but I can imagine well enough even through her clothes.

"Ah, I can kind of see that…………"

It’s pretty obvious even with clothes on.

"Well, it’s also thanks to Potion Baths and Potion Shampoo."

"Potion Bath!? Potion Shampoo!? What’s that!?"

Arc was surprised.

"You don’t know? Healing Potions also have a cleansing effect, so if you wash your body with them, your skin and hair become beautiful."

When I said that, Arc reached out and pinched my stomach.

"It’s springy."

Stop touching my stomach. That expression makes me sound fat.

"Touch my hand."

I said, holding out my hand to Arc. Arc then touched my hand, stroking it.

"Amazing. I never knew Healing Potions had such an effect."

Well, in a dangerous world where monsters are everywhere, they probably can’t use precious Healing Potions for something like this.

"And if you mix it with hair growth tonic, it makes hair grow."

"Hair growth? Do you need that?"

Arc looked at my long hair.

"Not me. There are men in the world who worry about being bald or having thinning hair. Your father seems fine, though."

The King seems to be quite old, but he still has a normal amount of hair. I don’t know if it’s a wig.

"Hmm, well, you can afford such luxuries because you can make as many potions as you want."

"Well, yeah. I even made ramen with a Healing Potion."

"I don’t know what ramen is, but I can tell you did something pointless…"

Well, it was certainly pointless.

I finished drying myself and changed into my tracksuit for sleeping. Arc also changed into what seemed to be her nightwear, a high-class looking white one-piece dress that looked like silk.

"Hmm, you really look like a girl."

"Well, yeah."

Arc’s hair is short, so if she insisted, she could barely pass for a boy, but I’ve already confirmed she doesn’t have the parts.

"By the way, where’s Mia?"

Isn’t she with her? If possible, I would have rather seen Mia than this kid.

"Mia went to bed early. I had work, so I was a little late."

Even a kid this young has work. What a good girl.

"Hmm, well, whatever. Then, let’s go to my room."

"Right."

After we finished changing, Arc and I left the changing room. The bath and my room weren’t that far apart, and as soon as we left the bathhouse, my room was in sight. But standing in front of my room was a certain person.

"Well now, what brings you here so late at night? I’m not interested in being your concubine, you know?"

I asked the King, who was standing in front of my room, in a joking tone.

"I would not make a witch my concubine. It would bring ruin to the nation."

So he’s calling me a femme fatale.

"I told him with Telepathy. That I got found out."

Arc explained why the King was here.

"How convenient. Well, whatever. Please, come in."

I invited the King and Arc into my room, then went to the round table and sat down.

"Please, make yourselves at home."

I urged the two of them to sit, then took out cups and a plastic bottle of apple juice from my bag. I poured apple juice into a cup, then took out a can of beer for myself.

"King-sama, would you like something to drink?"

I thought it would be rude for the King to have nothing while Arc and I were drinking, so I asked.

"What is that you have?"

The King, who had sat down at the table, pointed at the can of beer I was holding.

"Beer. It’s alcohol."

"I will have that."

"It’s warm, so it’s not very good, you know?"

I can’t just call Yoshino-san over just to chill it.

"Here, let me see."

Since the King said that, I handed him the can of beer. The King took the can, glanced at it, and immediately handed it back to me.

"How is this?"

The King asked, so I took the can.

"It’s cold…"

"Magic."

Is it the same magic as Yoshino-san’s? But it was instant.

"Wasn’t that fast? When Yoshino-san did it for me, it took a little longer."

It took Yoshino-san several tens of seconds. But the King was truly instantaneous.

"Yoshino was a magic swordsman, was she not? I specialize in magic."

"Hmm, thanks. Oh, this is your share."

I took another can of beer from my bag and handed it to the King. The King took the can, glanced at it for a moment, then opened it and started drinking.

"Hmm… not bad."

Apparently he can drink it, even though it’s his first time.

"Isn’t it bitter?"

"Well, it is bitter, but it is not a problem. That said, the alcohol content is low…"

Well, it is beer.

"That’s because you’re supposed to drink a lot of them."

That’s just my theory, though.

"Hmm, very well. It is a precious liquor from another world. I shall savor it."

It’s just cheap beer, you can buy it for about 200 yen.

"This juice is delicious."

Arc had also started drinking the apple juice.

"It’s warm, isn’t it? Have him chill it for you."

"I can use magic to chill things myself. It’s easy."

Is she trying to spite me for not being able to use magic? As expected of someone with the Provocation skill.

"Well, whatever. So? Let’s hear Arc’s story."

"Hold on. Before that, I shall give you this."

The King held out his hand, and three cloth bags appeared in front of me.

"What’s this?"

"Fluffy Grass, Sparkling Grass, and Silken Grass. There are three hundred of each, so I am counting on you."

So I have to make 900 Buff Potions… That’s a lot…

"Hey? Did you have the gold? It’s going to be a considerable amount, you know?"

"I have confirmed, and it is not a problem."

They must have a ton of gold. Now that I think about it, I understand why the gold bars were just left lying around in the underground ruin of Kunaar Ruins. They can mine a lot of it here, so it’s not that valuable.

"If you have it, then fine. I’ll make them."

Tomorrow is going to be tough.

"Mm, I am counting on you. I know you cannot stay long, so in the worst case, you may take them with you to finish. When you are done, please contact me through the mirror."

If I can’t finish by tomorrow, I’ll do that. I doubt I can finish even with Yoshino-san’s help.

"Understood. I’m free, so I’ll just make them at my own pace. Just to be sure, am I correct in assuming you plan to buy these in the future? I’d like to prepare some stock."

"That is right. What we mainly want are Healing Potions, Buff Potions, and Cure Potions."

I can’t make a lot of Buff Potions because of the Sparkling Paint issue, but I can make as many Healing Potions and Cure Potions as I want. Medicinal Herbs are in oversupply, so I can get as many as I need.

"Got it. I’ll make some in my spare time."

"I am counting on you."

I’ve found myself an incredible business partner.

"Well then, business is concluded. Let’s get to the main topic. Is it correct that Arc is a girl?"

She looked exactly like a girl, but I asked for confirmation just in case.

"That is correct. This child is a girl."

The King stated clearly.

"Why is she hiding her gender?"

"There are two reasons. One is that this child is the only one I have."

I always imagined a king having lots of wives and children, but he only has one…

"An only child? That’s surprising. Normally, wouldn’t you produce more candidates for the heir?"

It’s rude to say ‘spares,’ but they’d usually have more just in case.

"To tell this story, I must also tell you that…………"

That?

"That what? If it’s something I shouldn’t hear, I won’t ask."

"No, please listen."

Please don’t let this be trouble.

"The truth is, I had more children."

Had… Past tense.

"What happened to them?"

"They died."

I knew it… To be honest, I didn’t want to hear about children dying.

"Why did they pass away?"

"Sickness."

"An epidemic or something?"

Don’t tell me there are dangerous pathogens here.

"No, it was just the common cold."

"What? If it’s a cold, just take some medicine and go to bed."

"There is no medicine."

Huh?

"No medicine? Is this that kind of country?"

"I told you that this world was once destroyed and lost many technologies. Medicine is one of them. In the past, no one died from a cold. But since the collapse, the number of cases where a cold worsens and leads to death has dramatically increased."

Well, if a cold gets worse, it can cause things like pneumonia.

"What are the doctors doing?"

"Medicine is one of the lost technologies."

Are you serious… This world is way more messed up than I thought.